Media release

From: The Royal Society

In an arms race between host and parasite, a lungworm's ability to infect a toad is determined by host susceptibility not parasite preference

Biology Letters

Parasites and their hosts are locked in never-ending “arms races”, with each constantly evolving to exploit loopholes in their enemy’s defences. We might expect parasites to evolve faster, because of their short generation times, and so gain the upper hand. However, a study from Australia shows that sometimes it is the host that wins the battle – at least temporarily. Lungworms collected from several different locations were equally good at finding and penetrating their hosts – invasive cane toads – under controlled conditions. In contrast, cane toads from some areas were far better at resisting infection even if penetrated by the parasite.